Research Station Aboa

Aboa (Photo: FINNARP)

The Finnish Antarctic research station Aboa (73°03'S, 13°25'W) is located in Queen Maud Land, in the Vestfjella Mountains. The station was built in 1988 on the Basen nunatak. The Swedish research station Wasa is located on the same nunatak, 200 metres from Aboa. Together the two stations form the Nordenskiöld Base Camp. The stations cooperate both in research and logistics.

Aboa was enlarged and renovated during the summer 2002-2003. Today the research station comprises a main building, a generator building, an arch shelter, two separate research/accommodation containers, a container housing a doctor's surgery/accommodation, a container with a gravity laboratory, three 20 feet storage containers (food, spare parts, storeroom), an incinerator container, a garage and a container for climate research with a year-round weather station. Aboa can accommodate expeditions of up to 13 people. For occasional short stays, the station can accommodate 17 people. Aboa is occupied during the Antarctic summer only when there is mid-winter on the northern hemisphere. At that time of the year the conditions are most suitable for research activity, air temperature being approximately minus 0-15 °C.

Logistical support is mainly provided by airplane, and expeditions arrive and leave by air. Larger shipments of goods have been freighted through the German research station Neumayer III, where it is possible to arrive by ship. From Neumayer III, goods have been driven to Aboa by land. The station uses tracked and all-terrain vehicles, a tractor and snowmobiles for maintenance duties and for moving about in the area.